I Got You
by JoanneVixxon
Summary: "I wonder which will suffer more... a flaming heart extinguished by ice or a frozen heart melted by fire..." Elsa miraculously managed to open an eye, and lolled her bleeding head to the side. She looked, her vision disappearing by the second. Anna cradled her with trembling arms. "I think it hurts more for you,... Queen Elsa..."
1. Winter Air

**A/N:** I'm very sorry but for this series, I might be writing rather slow. I'm quite busy but I _promise_ to write till the end :D My first fanfic gave me courage to upload this so enjoy :D

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Greeting her like an old comrade, the wind howled and caressed itself through the cruel waves of the sea. Weak and vulnerable towards the impenetrable force, the sea gained its momentum and sprang upwards, animating into a huge explosion of bubbling water. The lightning strikes again, flashing. The sea glitters. The clouds grey. And all was brought to nothing but dismay.

Though the sea continued on its triumphant rage orchestrated with the thunder above its deadly wavering surface, a lonesome object with all its vigor emerged. It sailed. Through thick and thin, it bravely sailed, sometimes hovering up into wet air, losing its already slippery grip with the sea. It had no choice but to continue on. What _can_ you do when you're stuck in the middle of the sea and were greeted with the worst storm in the history of Arendelle?

A blonde woman raised her arms, waved it to the left and right, feeling the coarse sensation of the strong breezy wind rubbing against her cold fragile skin. She took a deep breath and as she exhaled, a trail of mist and snowflakes appeared before her quivering lips. When she punched her fist into the air, hoping to miraculously pummel into something, the water raised as it froze.

And there goes the ship.

She heard a voice. Distant but indescribably distinct. High but serene. Hopeful but so fearful. She couldn't hear clearly what the voice was trying to say but if she had to choose a word to describe it- she would've gone with _desperate_ anytime. She could hear echoes of pants and maybe pleas.

At such a difficult time like this, she couldn't describe what she was feeling herself. She had a gaping hole in her heart and she felt as though anything would've filled it and killed her. Any second by now. She could feel it. A wringing stain of guilty pain in her heart…

"Elsa!"

Finally awake, Elsa jolted upright, feeling her back crack at her swift reflexes. And there it was again. Something she has always despised upon ending her slumber- sunlight. Blinding her with its ever-illuminating rays of light, she promptly had the back of her hand pressed against her eyelids. She blinked a few times irritably- her blonde lashes outlining her smooth movements.

However, there was something not quite the same compared to her usual awakening these days. One thing she has always hated about waking up was that it was particularly warm. The heat pinched her skin everywhere, feeling as though they might just shed and mercilessly scrape off. And instead of having the cold air surrounding her body protect her from what she believe could have been anything, she had these heat waves hitting against her skin and slowly made herself feel naked and bare against anything that could have injured her. Slowly but steadily, she would sense the summer air peeling off her non-apparent armor, melting it and leaving her whole body vulnerable.

Did anybody else feel the same way? She has always wondered. How would it feel like without these powers? How would it feel like during winter for everybody else? Was it too cold to bear? Or was it just so pleasurable to always be enveloped with this invisible armor? She has always been curious.

But it was different today. There were no heat waves flickering against her. There was no sensation of her skin shedding like a snake flaking its scales. It was so, so, so comfortable. It was…

"Elsa?" Anna spoke, shutting the curtains hastily. The small rays of sunlight created a lonely streak of yellow on the carpeted floor- far away from the Queen to suffer its bright cheeriness. Elsa exhaled and what happened next made the butterflies in her stomach flutter. She breathed out mists and snowflakes.

Having the light shielded by the curtains now, her vision came back bringing along a small hint of hope for the new day. It was vague at first. Then, she realized what made that morning all the while different from the others. Her whole room was _frozen_. What she would once anticipate every morning was completely _frozen_- the sounds of the grandfather clock ticking, the heat prickling against her, the lit desk filled with contracts and agreements and scrolls. Everything was _covered_ with ice and snow.

She gulped, swallowing in what felt like _reality_. Something she has always found difficult to admit true. Muffled footsteps grew louder from her side and she found Anna slowly walking up to her in her pajamas and… boots. She looked down to herself. Her skin was pale and she was uncontrollably shaking. Her hands were shivering like a leaf in the wind. Elsa mouthed words and intended to voice out her one million and one questions but nothing came out. It was as if something just blocked out her throat. Instead, she had puffs of mists fading around her.

Anna sat beside her sister. Elsa felt the side of her huge bed sinking. The crumpled and messy sheets _cracked_ as loud as throwing off a piano out of the window would when Anna gently placed herself on top. Both of them looked down with baffled looks. It was the _ice_. The bed was frozen too. Elsa shook her head. "What happened?" Elsa asked whispering with a shaky voice but it was too soft for even Anna to hear it. "Anna," she spoke, a bit louder with desperation. "What… What happened? What made me do this? I…"

Anna quickly hushed her when she saw from the corner of her eyes that the wall near the window immediately formed spikes. She strategically shifted herself closer to Elsa's bent legs to block her view of the icicles but it was to no avail. Elsa realized and she had herself gasping in shock, speeding up the process. "Elsa, please," Anna said, slowly grabbing Elsa's wrists. "Just… just calm down,"

"Don't. Touch. Me," Elsa demanded, snatching away her hands. She experienced something else as well. Something she had no issue of before. She was _shivering_. Besides the time she found out about Arendelle casted with an eternal winter, she has never experience this in her life. She felt weird. She didn't feel hot. She _was_ scared. She felt afraid about what was happening to her room. The lack of knowledge made her feel so fragile. She thought she had controlled her powers but how could it have broke lose when she _just_ woke up? Suddenly, she realized what the strange feeling was. "It's so cold," Elsa whispered, curling up her body. She buried her face into her knees, rubbing her arms.

Anna looked at the Queen. It was odd for herself as well seeing her sister that was the Queen of Ice and Snow shuddering before her. It was weirder than having Kristoff be in the mental perception that Sven always had opinions on everything. She heard Elsa starting to sob, her shoulders arched upwards. She gripped her sleeves and wanted so badly to just have her powers stop going out of control. She was so embarrassed too- crying like a weakling in front of her younger sister when here she was, the Queen of Arendelle. _Conceal_, she thought. _Don't feel it_… _Conceal it…_

The tears kept trickling down her cheeks and her body started to shiver worse than before. Anna slowly opened up her arms and wrapped them around Elsa, knowing better than anyone else that she would definitely try to pull herself out. She did but Anna didn't allow her to let go. Elsa had her hands pushing Anna's shoulders but she just couldn't win her sister over. She was too frightened to push with all her strength, having a solid feeling that her powers would just interpret her movements as assault. "Please, I don't want to hurt you," She whispered into Anna's ear, looking at the mist she has breathed out. Anna was so warm. Despite being in a room blanketed with just ice and snow, she was still warm inside out. Touching Anna, Elsa thought, has never been an uncomfortable experience but more of a paranoid situation.

Even though she hated heat, Anna's warmth was something else. It didn't seep through her skin and felt as though it tried to infect her. It was so nice to just sink into her. "You won't," Anna said, a smile cracking against Elsa's shoulders. She hugged Elsa tighter and gently rubbed her back. "I _know_ you won't," Elsa breathed slower and slower to a normal pace, just enjoying the moment of this pleasurable physical contact she has missed out for thirteen years. She has forgotten how it felt like- to be touched… To be loved…


	2. Dreams

"Shh…" Anna hushed, still rubbing Elsa's stiff back. Her fingers felt the silkiness of her blue satin nightgown. Elsa was shaking less as she quietly rested her head on Anna's shoulder. The ice slowly evaporated, having every inch of them disappearing into white and blue glitter. The twinkling lights gradually rose like the small lanterns in Corona and finally vanished into thin air when they were near the corniced ceilings. Anna prolonged a sigh, relieved that she was just in time to help Elsa before she sent off another winter in the castle. Hesitantly, Elsa stretched out her arms- unsure whether she should place it around Anna's waist or just around her back. Or do people usually just hug wherever they wanted?

Finally, she just cuddled Anna around the middle. Anna let out a soft giggle. "Okay?"

"Yeah…" Elsa mumbled, tightening her hug. She enjoyed Anna just rubbing her back. It made her warm. It's _good_ warm. "What happened?"

Anna wanted to let go of Elsa for a while to fully explain but suddenly, Elsa didn't break loose of her joined arms. So, she just continued on cuddling. "I woke up feeling a bit too cold and I knew something was wrong so I thought it wouldn't do any harm in checking up on you and when I reached your door, I realized that there was mist coming out of the gap so I barged in with all the ice on the door cracking real loud," Anna took a deep breath. "It was interesting that you were still sleeping soundly… well, not _that_ soundly, I guess," Elsa blinked, still silent. "So… I realized that your whole room was icy but you were sleeping and I guess you were sleeping in kind of a _weird_ position," Elsa finally let go to let her sister see her raised brow.

"What position?"

"Like a dying caterpillar," Anna nonchalantly replied. Elsa tilted her head, not being able to understand what she truly meant. "Well, you know, you were curling up on the bed. You had a real bad dream. Took me quite a while to really wake you up," Elsa averted her eyes to a spot on the bed. It was the last spot of ice to finally sublimate. Staring into space, she tried to remember what the dream was about. If it were a nightmare, one of her most frequent nightmares would have to be her almost killing Anna when they were mere children. But she didn't remember accidentally hitting her sister in her dream. She didn't recall looking at Anna's chubby face while cradling her with trembling arms. Did she?

"A nightmare…" Elsa said in barely a whisper. She looked back at Anna, admiring the abundant freckles on her nose and cheeks. Sluggishly, her hands crept nearer to her chest and she looked down to them. She remembered. It wasn't killing her sister. "I dreamt that I killed Mama and Papa," Anna's blue eyes widened. Her lips pursed in terror, looking around the room to see whether it was freezing or not. Thankfully, it wasn't.

"Well at least we all know that that dream isn't true," Anna cracked, faking a wide grin. She flapped her hands, trying to get Elsa's attention. "Hey, Elsa, Elsa, do you know what you _need_ to do?" Elsa shook her head, still staring at her hands. "You need to _chill_,"

That made her laugh. She giggled along with her sister, shrugging her shoulders. Anna stared at the Queen, happy that she finally made Elsa snap out of her depression, even if it was just a short moment. Anna lightly pushed Elsa backwards, letting her lay down on the cozy bed. She tucked Elsa under the covers properly, patting around the stomach. She needed rest. All this stress as the Queen was slowly rapturing her. It wouldn't hurt having her sleep for a couple more hours in the morning before actually starting the day, right? "Are you okay now?" Elsa nodded, smiling. She couldn't have been more grateful to have a sister like Anna. Brave. Innocent. Caring. _Loving_.

Anna gave one last smile before standing up. She turned around and began heading towards the exit when she felt two hands gripping tightly on her arm, particularly grabbing only on the sleeve. "Wait!" Elsa whispered, almost sounding as though she was begging in desperation. Anna turned around again, her unbraided hair swirling and gracefully landing on her slim shoulders. Elsa looked at it and saw the blond streak on her hair. She thought that it vanished when she thawed her sister's heart. Well, it looked like it didn't then. Anna looked down and saw Elsa, her lips apart. Then, she pressed her lips but her blue eyes were still locked onto Anna's.

"Okay, okay," Anna said smiling, coming back to the bed and taking off her boots. She laid down beside Elsa, getting under the blankets with her. She could hear Elsa sighing in relief. The moment they settled, Elsa rested on her side, facing Anna. She placed a thoughtful arm around her middle, wanting to enjoy Anna's warmth again. She was a portable furnace, Elsa thought. She was almost the total opposite of Elsa. Smiling, they both dozed off easily.

Elsa woke up. And again, it was weird. She looked at her side but she found Anna gone. Expecting to see the single line of sunlight casted on the carpet, what she saw instead was the moonlight casting shadows of the triangular window frames. She looked at the window again, blinking hazily. She could've sworn that Anna shut the curtains. _'Wait…'_ Elsa thought, squinting her eyes through the dark. She ran her eyes up and down the window- the _triangular _window that she would press her nose against to see the outside when she was lonely in her room. She spent most of her time gazing out of that window. _'There aren't any curtains on that window…'_

Panicking, she looked around her room. The grandfather clock was ticking and it ticked 1.13. It was about an hour past midnight. Did she sleep for the whole day? She kicked the covers out of the way, hastily jumping out of the bed. And then she remembered. She woke up because of something. She was startled by a sound. A sound… Elsa rubbed her temples with the tip of her slender fingers. She hurried to the wardrobe where she grabbed a shawl to drape over her shoulders. Passing by the dressing table that was heavily decorated with blue snowflake patterns, she saw herself in the mirror. She looked ghostly. Her skin was paler than her usual pale. And her eyes had rings.

"Why did I wake up again?" Elsa whispered to herself. "A sound…" She said, rushing to her door. When she attempted to open it, it clanked against the stoppers, realizing that it was locked. She was confused. Anna couldn't have barged in when the door was locked and she couldn't have locked it even if she were to come out of the room. It was all a dream, Elsa realized. Anna comforting her, hugging her, that was all a dream. "A sound…" Elsa said again, unlocking the door. She still found it weird unlocking that door. She was unlocking a door, which she once locked for thirteen years. "A sound… of a girl screaming…"


	3. A Nightmare Far Worse

**A/N: **Starting from here, I might upload quite slowly. Thank you for reading my fanfics. *bows* I really appreciate it.

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Elsa ran to her sister's room, feeling irritated by the fact that the hallway was unexplainably long and the rooms were far from each other. Walking to the ballroom would take a full three minutes and being a woman stuck in the room for thirteen years, she had difficulty using muscles. However, it looked as though fear could be a drive for her to move around a lot- for example, the time she climbed up the mountain after revealing her powers.

Panting, she reached Anna's room. She yanked the knob, tugging onto it. "Anna!" She shouted desperately. Letting go of her shawl, she used both her hands to budge onto the door. The scarf dropped to the floor and left her bare arms exposed. It was too sturdy. She couldn't break it down. Just when she was about to freeze the door, she heard rushed footsteps behind her. Terrified, she swiftly raised her arms, making a waist-high ice barrier. It was just the security guards. Elsa slowly let her hands creep up her sleeveless arms, conscious at the presence of two men possessing masculinity far greater than any other men she has seen in her life. They looked frightened themselves. "Your Majesty!" The shorter one of them said, breathless. They saluted as they quickly informed, straightening their posture. "Someone broke into our castle's walls. We tried, Your Majesty. W-we…"

Not a moment after he finished the sentence, the door froze and shattered into tiny pieces. Glittering in the cold air, the pieces fell like ashes thrown to the wind. Elsa herself was surprised that her power acted without her _permission _again. She felt her heart getting colder and colder. It was worse than being hit with a heat stroke. The guards had their mouths gaping in both awe and fear for the Queen, eyes darting from the room to the Queen back and forth. Hesitant, she turned around, facing her sister's room…

_'Please, please…'_

Expecting to see the moonlight casting shadows of the triangular window frames, it casted shadows of a _destroyed_ window. A long abstract pattern was painted on the floor by the sheer intensity of the illuminating moon. The shattered glass was all over the floor, landed even as far as to the entrance of Anna's room, mere inches from Elsa's sandals. Anna's blankets were sprawled on the carpet with a dramatic stature and the story books from her tall white bookshelf had messed up the once beautiful room- not that it was ever as neat as Elsa's. Glass, books, papers, everything was all over the place but one thing was oddly separate from the massacre of the pink room. A small piece of paper, stuck on the sharp pointy edges of the broken window.

Elsa walked in disbelief. This must've been a dream, Elsa thought. Surely it must've been a dream. Her feet stepped on the cracked glass and door pieces, letting her footsteps crackle as she trampled over them. Each step she took had the whole room behind her slowly freeze up. The guards solitarily watched, gulping. Elsa didn't realize. She didn't _want _to realize. She was still letting her mind have all this information totally sink into her. It was like water and oil- the scene and her interpretation of it. She gasped shortly after seeing a mist around her mouth. It was more visible with the moonlight pouring its shine into the room.

"Your… Your Majesty?" Elsa heard the anxious soldier gulp, still looking at the shattered pieces of the door. "Y-your orders," he stammered, his voice noticeably shaky. Everything in the room started to have mists warping upwards and gradually, a steady fog thickened the visions of the three. It reminded too much of the storm Elsa made. She couldn't afford to cast another winter to Arendelle. She _must_ control it.

"Get all forces…" Elsa cracked, her voice hushed. She had a sharp intake of breath, taking full strength on her next orders. She closed her eyes in aggravation and clenched the sides of her nightgown, crumpling them with frosted fingers. They barely heard what she said. She was the Queen. _'I am the Queen,'_ she thought, repeatedly, dousing herself with encouragement. She let the words fall out of her mouth, syllable by syllable, until she fully felt herself filled with the bravery she needed. _'I am the Queen,'_

_Conceal._

"Get all forces,"

_Don't feel._

"No, get _everyone_- and get them to find my sister!"

_Don't let them…_

She turned around, having the edges of her nightgown spiral with her quick motion. She looked at the guards having their last salute before running frantically out the room- having a rush of adrenaline in them to save the dearest princess of Arendelle and having a rush of fear in being frozen right then and there. Just a moment later, Elsa could hear the loud bells ringing for the emergency search. With the gaping hole on the window, she could hear clear footsteps of the dozens and hundreds citizens gathering and starting the pursuit for the princess. The last time Elsa heard the bells was when the former King and Queen were pronounced died. She sighed slowly. "This can't be happening," she said, looking down to her hands and then the frozen floor. "This has to be a dream…"

She let her head sink into her hands. _'Wait,'_ she thought, widening her eyes behind her petite fingers. She stared at the mixture of shattered pieces on the floor, caused by herself and by… _'That cloth…'_ Before thinking of moving forward, she found her legs striding front, bringing her shaking body towards the broken window, slowly but steadily. The muscles on her legs were so worn out. Tired and scared. But still, they helped the Queen stand strong despite what ever was happening. She let out a hand and stopped it mid way before the cloth dangling on the window. She saw something written on it with scratchy rushed handwriting. She looked, still not touching it.

She knew.

She _knew_ that after taking this cloth and reading what's written on it, there wouldn't be a slight chance for her to turn back. She thought to herself, smiling, remembering how she would ask her sister this question but not to herself. She should have _many_ times- before finally deciding to shut her sister out for thirteen years, before accepting the fact their parents died and before her coronation to be the next Queen of Arendelle. It was simple yet it made an impact when she thought of it. She has never considered her true feelings. And maybe that was the main reason she was always out of control from her powers... _'Are you ready, Elsa?'_

She felt a single tear, tricking down her pale cheek. Then, another. _'What if I don't succeed this? What if I can't get my sister back? What if she's… dead?'_ She sobbed. Her outstretched hand came back to cover her face, trembling in fear…

Anna. The princess of Arendelle, loved by not only Elsa but also by the whole kingdom. Her sister. _Her_ Anna. Her _love_. The reason why she's here respected and joyous as Queen. The reason why she's here alive and breathing. Without her, she had no reason to live anymore. She would rather die than to live a life without having to meet the gaze of her teal eyes and feel the overwhelming warmth she's able to share from a mere embrace. What was her goal, her future… her center if Anna didn't exist anymore?

"Elsa…" She heard a voice, low and raspy, behind her. At first, she thought it was her dad. Silly, she knew, but at a time like this, she wouldn't be surprise if she were to uncontrollably hallucinate. She turned around to find a blonde man with sorrowful eyes staring down at her. She averted her eyes for a moment, realizing that Anna's whole room was frozen and snowflakes fell down in a slow pace. Then, she looked back at him. "Elsa…" he said, again, softer this time. His Adam's apple bobbed and he shut his eyes, holding back tears visibly forming at the corner of his eyes. It was enough. This was enough for Elsa. She couldn't take this anymore. It wasn't fair for someone to just take something so irreplaceably precious to her and not only cause despair to her but to _everyone!_

"I'll get her back…" Elsa mumbled, something balling in her throat, blocking her voice, suffocating her. Louder now, fuelled by a burning rage in her heart. "I'll get her back… I promise, Kristoff,"


	4. This Lingering Desire

"Elsa…" he said once again.

"This is all my fault…" Elsa finally said with a cracking voice. The sudden realization hit her like a sword in her stomach. Tears kept gushing down her pale cheeks. Her vision blurred by her forming tears only focused on the carpeted floor with broken glass. She couldn't see. Her eyes were too watery. She was thankful to cry for it distorted the reality she didn't _want_ to face. This was too overwhelming and sudden and so huge in mass for one person to be burdened of. She wanted to just kill herself so that she wouldn't need to accept this cruel reality. Maybe that _was_ the fastest way.

Yes.

Maybe her existence in Arendelle has always been and very truly meaningless after all. She's a woman with an innate curse. She's a Queen whom has caused so much despair _because_ of that curse. She's a sister that did nothing but to hurt her sister.

"This is… all… my fault," she whispered again, covering her face with quivering ice-cold hands. She sobbed with her fingers now wet with her tears. She turned around, facing the ghastly massacred window, blinded by the moonlight. She wiped off her tears but it still kept on flowing. Raged by how feeble and powerless she was in this situation, she pressed the tips of her palms onto her eyelids, having the gesture just beg for them to stop crying. She was such a weakling. She was so helpless. She couldn't lead. She was a disgrace to her family and to all of Arendelle.

Frost was visibly forming on every corner it could find- on the bed sheets, on the corniced ceilings, on the carpet, the floor, the desk, the sharp cracked edges of the window, her sandals, her gown… her bare legs… her trembling shoulders…

Icicles protruded from the floor and walls, stagnant when it formed its menacing points. Then, gradually, as if to give time to decide, each and one of them ascended, inch by inch, and outstretched its solid self, slowly attracted to piercing something so soft and fragile, having a longing unstoppable desire to impale someone so... tempted for this end. It acted on its own accord. No, it was acting _with_ permission. It was _reacting_.

Yes.

It would be faster to end the pain this way, right? By leaving this world, she didn't need to face any of this agony she didn't deserve to endure. Just one simple stab to end her infinite misery.

Elsa gasped when she heard loud cracks right beside her left ear. She looked around to find large hands breaking icicles mere inches from her neck. She felt something else dribble down her calves and slowly it bit her. Something sharp and something so… familiar. She felt it, blood oozing down the cold skin of her weak legs. "Stop it," Kristoff said gently, placing a hand on Elsa's shoulder. "We can't save Anna without you…" His voice cracked, holding back sobs. "So, please. Stop it,"

The ice around her calves soon melted, mercilessly rubbing its cold surface against her bare open wounds. As the icicles vanished into glitter, she found parts of her body suddenly aching and bleeding- her legs, her arms and she felt her feet weakly trampling over the shards of ice and glass.

She gripped the frames of the window, losing strength she thought she had entire control on. She felt it again. Red-hot liquid, slowly but steadily, seeping out of her stomach. Sometimes, it felt as though it just seeped out while caressing everything along the way. Sometimes, it exited in squirts like how juicy fruits would when we pinch them. It wasn't much, Elsa guessed. But she could still clearly feel it. She figured she wasn't really shocked by the abrupt pain. She was more intrigued on the warmth of her blood. Not once did she ever think that there was a single hint of warmth anywhere _near _her. It was… comforting…

"Snap out of it," Kristoff said, firmly this time. "I know you're sad. You're not the only one," He placed a hand on Elsa's back. "And we'll get her together. This isn't _your_ fault. This isn't something you have to face _alone._ You have friends-" He paused. "You have companions you can depend on now, remember?" Elsa's cries stopped. And she nodded.

"Yeah, you're right…" she mumbled, letting the words solitarily sink into Kristoff. She turned to Kristoff to give a weak smile. What was she thinking? She looked down to her legs and shook her head as the blood continued to trickle down, pulled by the invincible gravity. It cannily dripped to the carpet by its own silent volition where the red spread itself outwards, staining the once clear coloured carpet. She heard herself chuckle inside by the actual thought of killing herself- the fact that her own powers _assisted_ her in committing suicide. _'That wasn't the first time now, was it, Elsa?'_

"Everyone in Arendelle loves you, Elsa," Kristoff said with all his tenderness. "You may not see it," He stepped nearer towards the window and extended his large arms, his rough fingers fiddling with the stained cloth, still wavering on the sharp broken glass as the icy wind came in uninvited. "But everyone does love you… in fear that you won't have enough of it," Kristoff's encouraging words lit the dull flame in Elsa's heart as the cold breeze refreshed Elsa. Uninvited it was, but it was regarded as a regular customer- always there to come and drop by whenever Elsa felt this way, felt this _negative_. And there it was, that shield that no one but Elsa can feel encasing her with its protective adhesive. Once again, she had regained her power, her authority with this armor now giving its word to defend her at all cost.

No one could see it or feel it but Elsa. And she liked it. It was _hers_.

Finally, with a swift whip of his wrists, the fluttering cloth detached from its odd hook and lay tight within Kristoff's grasp, seemingly quivering as its enemies held it hostage. Nowhere to run or hide but with its plain existence, now can the story begin.


	5. The Strangeness, Of all the Times

**A/N:** so sorry for updating like a turtle. Thanks for reading btw :D

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"Hey, Elsa,"

"Psst, Els!"

"Els!"

Elsa stirred. She turned around, ignoring the loud sounds of the bed sheets rustling beneath her ear. She groaned when her eyes met bright light instead of her sister. Instead, she was just a blurry shadow at her side. Anna stifled a giggle as she propped herself up, her shadow blocking the light by mere inches. A smile of content curved on Elsa's pale face as her eyes blinked themselves to a shut out. Cheeks reddening.

"Come _on,_ Your _Majesty_!" Anna pleaded, slapping an ungraceful hand at Elsa's arm. Elsa flinched, her skin sensitive to the sudden physical contact. A weak giggle escaped from Anna's grinning mouth. "Sorry," Elsa's eyes opened. She didn't need to be sorry. She became sensitive because no one has touched her for thirteen years. It wasn't her fault. This was Elsa's. Her to blame, all along.

* * *

"Elsa?"

Her voice rang in her head repeatedly, solemnly engraving itself at the back of her mind, reminding her that Anna wasn't there anymore and she would be for eternity if she didn't act… _now_.

Heavy footsteps thudded on the carpeted floor, desperately trying to overpower the growing voice in her head. She slammed her bedroom door and it echoed in the hallway for a good four seconds and yet she felt as though she was deafened by the voice. She wanted to listen to it all day and yet she didn't. Before she forgot how Anna sounded like, she wanted the voice to keep ringing in her head so would remember. But this ringing kept pulling her back to the reality she didn't want to endure.

She strode towards her meticulously carved white closet, glancing at her reflection over the dressing table. If what she saw before was bad, this was far worse. Blurred by the forming tears at the corner of her eyes, she shut them before she fully made out the faint bruises and scars around her body.

"Sis…?"

"I'll get you back," Elsa said as she forcefully opened the closet. Her eyes ran over the many dresses specially tailored for her. But she couldn't wear any of those. If she was about to climb up mountains in a dress, Anna might as well be jumping off a cliff rather than wait for her sister. Smirking weakly, she eyed a folded uniform near the bottom of the closet.

* * *

"Is this some bloody ransom?"

"Kristoff…" Her hand stretched out, shaking before Kristoff handed the cloth over to her. In that split second, Kristoff could see multiple cuts around her forearms. He looked away.

Looking at it with apprehension, she noticed that the end of the cloth was burnt- smeared with black threads poking outwards. Although the handwriting was rather awful, Elsa, despite feeling the multiple mix of emotions she had now, was rather impressed by the many words that could be fitted in that small space.

_"Dear Ice Queen, _

_If you would like to have your precious sister returned in one piece, please come to us alone and bring along 100 golden coins. If you dare come forth accompanied by anyone, you have been warned. We await your arrival in The Monarch's Retrieve,"_

Elsa's eyes averted from the cloth to the blond man and then, to the floor. The request was anything but odd. But if this was what they wanted in return for Anna, Elsa was determined to do whatever it took. Kristoff shifted his footing around as he shook his head. "This little piece of-" He swung his arms upwards. "Who the _fuck_ does this person think he is, huh?"

Elsa merely shrugged, wincing a bit at the cuss word. "A bloody good kidnapper," Elsa mumbled, taking a deep breath when she felt a cold breeze rubbing her back. Her knees were trembling and her eyes were wary from crying out what felt like thirteen years of isolation again. "I'll get ready," She turned around, walking. "Excuse me," Kristoff grabbed Elsa by the shoulder, his strong grip hurting Elsa a little.

"Queen. Elsa." Kristoff sputtered, his voice stern and loud. "What the hell are you talking about? This is obviously a trap. You can't be going there alone, bringing along 100 _golden coins_ just because he said so! Your _life_ would be in danger as well!"

"Then what do you suggest I must do?" Elsa shouted, turning around. A spike forming near the broken window. She flinched. Her mind swirling with imaginations of Anna crying in a dark room, purely made out of just broken scraps of wood and cobblestones. She felt her heart thumping against her ribcage and her breathing got heavy. "He said so- bring anyone- you have been warned! This is my sister and it's my responsibility to get her back! It's m-my fault- she-.. I don't want anyone to get hurt-"

"She is our _princess_ and she's _our_ responsibility too, Elsa!" Kristoff shot back, shouting at the top of his lungs. Elsa's eyes widened at him, momentarily scared of how fierce the blond man was able to be when all Elsa knew about him was just a polite ice seller. "You go there alone, you're definitely getting hurt! We bring the whole army, they don't stand a chance!" He said, jutting out a finger at Elsa. With that, he walked briskly out of Anna's massacred room. "I'm going to tell the military officers to ready everything," Elsa felt her heartbeat increasing.

"Kristoff! You listen to m-"

He flailed his large arms in Elsa's direction with utmost exasperation and left the room muttering curses under his breath. That was one man that was able to defy the Queen.

* * *

She sighed.

She tugged onto the pointy collars with delicate fingers, correcting the irritable forming creases near her neck. With one last pull of her short dark blue coat, she jogged towards her door, finding it odd how easy it was to stretch ones legs in trousers. And her boots were so well encased with metal trimmings at her shin that she didn't even feel the air slice as she walked past them. She was indestructible.

She quit riding and fencing a long time ago but she was well attached to her set of clothing because she knew it was the best set to wear to feel like this. She didn't need her icy air circling around her or her invisible armour- she just needed this. Her set of uniform to feel like the _ice queen_ she needed to be.

"I'll get you back…" she said, grabbing the doorknob. She turned around to look at her chaotic bed, the sheets spilling around the ground. She shut her eyes tight, waited and opened them again. She saw the bed, spotlighted by the triangle shaped moonlight. She let out a soft groan when her eyes were tearing up again. It wasn't a dream. This was real.

The incident itself was too odd to be admitted true. Elsa would've heard the windows crack when it broke. Instead, she only heard Anna's scream. She felt a pang remembering her desperate plea. But maybe Elsa was too deep in a sleep to realize and she was too late. But how did they pass the guards? Arendelle had the best security to offer. And yet, what made this all the while stranger was the fact that they kidnapped Anna and demanded the Queen and 100 golden coins. She wasn't really worried about the money they insisted but she knew very well of the value it possessed. 100 golden coins were worth a third of the royal castle, Elsa presumed.

But one thing the quiet blond didn't expect was that they were lingering at The Monarch's Retrieve- the castle of she and Anna's great-grandfather whom has left abandoned for god knows how many years. Maybe a hundred years. Or more. Nobody went to the castle. Not a single soul. And all that Elsa knew of the sacred place was the fact that a huge chunk of it has collapsed into rubbles.

Elsa and Anna insisted on visiting the place when they were small. But even after countless pleas and whiny cries, mostly from Anna, the King crossly rejected all of the wishes. Even in later years, he was always infuriated by the emersion of the topic from any one of them- Anna, Elsa and even their Mother, the Queen. Anna witnessed it before, she told Elsa. The Queen questioned his behavior on The Monarch's Retrieve and instead, he just shot back a glare at her.

It was strange for Elsa. All she knew about her father was that he was the most caring and loving person she ever knew. To hear that, she became more curious and yet rather fearful herself. It never crossed her mind to explore the abandoned castle now that she need not any permission.

And not once did she expect herself to go there in such a desperate request.

She walked in the dark hallway towards the great spiral staircase. Each few seconds, the bright light from outside would blind her annoyingly and then, she would be back in the dark. Already feeling her powers starting to send snowflakes descending from the ceilings, she quickly swerved her way the side, walking in the shadows, far from the blue glowing diamonds on the floor.

Her boots thudded much louder than her footsteps before. It was menacing. She didn't even feel the pressure of stepping onto the floor. Finally, she reached the ground floor of her palace. Clouded by the countless thoughts flashing through her mind, it took her a full two minutes to realize that the Military Captain was standing stoically in front of her- Captain Magnus. Kristoff was there as well, along with some other soldiers dressed in full armour.

They stared in awe of their Queen dressed in an outfit other than her usual dresses.

"Queen Elsa," the tall chief spoke. His voice low and big. "From what I heard from Kristoff, I think it's best to think this through thoroughly before starting…"

Elsa wasn't thinking. All she could think of was Anna. And her dream. They were having such a great moment together. And all of that wasn't real. All of this felt as though it wasn't real. "Your Majesty?"

Elsa turned her head around and placed a glare on each man, one by one. Without a word she made her way to the ground floor study, unaware that each footstep frosted the floor a bit. Kristoff tensed and so did the other men. This tiny women, they thought, was some one who shouldn't be trifled with. And this kidnapper dared to do just that.

Gerda and Kai whom were near the group hurriedly opened the wooden doors to the study as they let the petite blond woman enter, nodding their heads once with utmost respect. They were in grief. Elsa could tell. Gerda's eyes were red from crying. Kai's usual cheery plump face was frowning with sorrowful eyes. Their once swift movements were not in their original pace. Instead, everything was just slow and dreadful. Hopeless. Everyone was losing hope.

Even Elsa.

Elsa sat in the middle of a couch while the rest followed after the queen, standing behind her as the captain sat on the opposite. He leaned forward. The Military Captain was a huge man, far larger than big Kristoff. His arms were as thick as tree barks and his shoulders were as broad as Elsa's height. His nicely trimmed moustache gave a frame for his pursed lips. His brown tufts of hair rested on his balding head, parted on his right.

He cleared his throat. "Now, Your Majesty," He waited for Elsa to look up. "I am very, sincerely, very sorry about what happened," Her eyes watered again. She stared straight into the captain's green eyes. This man was a bigger version of her father, she thought. "This was unexpected- we all know- and it comes as a huge shock- not only to you, Your Majesty, but to all of Arendelle," He paused as abruptly,

Elsa let out the softest whine while her head propped on top of her shivering hands. Tear after tear, they dropped onto the carpet floor between her legs. The room fell utterly silent. Elsa promised herself not to cry again. But she couldn't. Every resurfacing of the subject made her heart send jolts throughout her body- to sudden and shocking for the small Queen.

"Your Majesty…" The captain stretched a hand and made his way to Elsa's knee. He stopped and waited. Elsa didn't react. Firmly, he placed a hand on her knee. Now, her shoulders were shaking and she sobbed, trying her hardest to hide her voice. She heard faint footsteps near her side and felt the sofa shift beside her. The next second, she found Kristoff sitting and resting a delicate hand on her shoulder. "Your Majesty, please,"

Elsa sniffed and her breathing slowed down. She looked up with watery eyes.

"Usually, I wouldn't ever let you go for these things but if this man demands you, then, we must follow for Anna's well return," he said, almost whispering as though to sooth Elsa. "Just one thing- you must go with us-"

"But, sir! This person said so- he'll-"

"Your Majesty," his voice slightly louder. Elsa shut her mouth, trembling when she realized her tears have frozen a part of her boots. The air was turning chilly and she knew because the soldiers behind started to become rather restless. The large man sighed. "This young man here," He tapped Kristoff's shoulder. "Has told us everything we need to know. And he informed me. Even told me about your thoughts," Elsa turned to glare at Kristoff. He was her friend. But at that moment, she felt as though she wanted to punch him right then and there.

She understood the danger of this decision but it was made clear that she just didn't want to let anyone get hurt in this. _No one_.

"No," the captain said. "He isn't at fault, Your Majesty. Please understand. We know how you feel. But you are our Queen. If something happens to you and Anna can't return, we are left with no one to lead us. Please. _Both_ of you are important. I apologize for this- I will not let you go alone. I'll reject any command regarding this," Elsa sighed.

"Very well," she said in barely a whisper. "But if anything happens to you-"

"Yes, Your Majesty," he said. "You won't be burdened of any blame if any mishap were to be bestowed upon us. You have our word,"

* * *

"Elsa?"

"Mmm…"

"You're crying again…" Elsa blinked, feeling light tears brushing her reddening cheeks. Her blue eyes glistened despite both of them were in the dark. "You okay?"

"Mmm…"


End file.
